Chennai, 16 July 2007:

Sical Logistics has announced that two more bodies of the missing crew of Samudrika 10, the offshore supply vessel (OSV) that sank off Bombay High on 9 July 2007, have been recovered. The bodies were washed away to far off Bhilad, Valsad District, on the Gujarat coast, because of strong northerly currents and waves. On 15 July 2007, the body of Capt Gurbachan Singh, the vessel's Master, was recovered; today, 16 July 2007, the body of Shyam Ji, Seaman, was found.

Coast guard rescuers had earlier recovered bodies of four crew men near the site of mishap.

The bodies that have been identified are:

• Capt Gurbachan Singh, Master: recovered on 16 July.
• Shyam Ji, Seaman: recovered on 15 July.
• Rajveer Singh, Bosun: recovered on 11 July.
• Vivek Kumar, Seaman: recoverd on 12 July.
• Sukanta Banerjee, Cook: recovered on 12 July.
• Shivmohan Tripathi, Oiler: recovered on 12 July.

Family members and next of kin of the deceased have been informed and necessary arrangements for the bodies to reach their families have been made. The family members of the deceased would receive compensation as per their insurance cover and this amount would be matched by an equal contribution from Sical. Sical will offer employment to the next of kin of the deceased and will offer long term support to families who have lost their sole breadwinner.

Samudrika 10 was manned by 17 crew when she sank. Search and rescue operations to find the two crewmen still missing, will continue. Nine of the crew were rescued and brought back to Mumbai by ONGC on Monday, 9 July 2007.

Immediate ex gratia was provided to the rescued crew by ONGC. After providing medical treatment at the helibase, Sical has taken charge of the rescued crew. Sical is extending its full corporation to ONGC and the rescue team. Sical is also providing medical, logistical, and financial support to the family members of the crew who lost their lives and also to those who survived this tragedy.

Samudrika 10 had sailed out of Nhava Supply base of ONGC on 6 July 2007. At 1235 hrs, the vessel started sinking by stern. The vessel received several heavy swells as a result of which it went down by stern and could not come back to normal position because of the unexpected shifting of heavy cargo and aggravated weather conditions.

The company will work to ensure that due compensation reaches the next of kin at the earliest. The search operations will continue. Aerial and sea search has been extended up to the coast of Gujarat.

Media Contact:

Richa Tilokani
Sical Logistics Ltd
+91.44.22350061
richa@sical.com

Samantha Unnikrishnan
Ogilvy PR Worldwide
+91.9840284080
Samantha.unnikrishnan@ogilvy.com